One I shouldn't have bought; 1974 Honda Civic. Got it spankin' new. I was driving 50 miles round trip for work and was tired of the low mileage muscle car gas cost. It had a tiny 4 cylinder and 5 speed. It was fun to drive and handled like a go kart. I bought it in the fall and after the first big snow day, it would run rough. The coil was mounted high on the firewall right under the hood and the snow flying off the road would accumulate around it and start shorting it out. There were a few times I had to pull off the road to clean the snow away so it would run. I then moved it down the firewall as far as the wires would reach for more heat and it helped. It would get damp but not get buried in snow. While working on the coil, I leaned against the fender and it bent under just that weight !! I popped the buckle out with my hand and was stunned that it was that weak. About a month later, I was approching an intersection where I had the right of way and the side street had stop signs. I noticed a women in a Chev Bel Aire wagon coming at me from the side street and looking in the back seat at her kids. I stopped and she blasted right thru the intersection about 40mph. I looked at the size of that car a few feet in front of my bumper and imagined how far she would've caved mine in and sold it a few weeks later. I bought a '66 Caprice with an "economy" 283 2 barrel and powerglide...

One I shouldn't have bought; 1974 Honda Civic. Got it spankin' new. I was driving 50 miles round trip for work and was tired of the low mileage muscle car gas cost. It had a tiny 4 cylinder and 5 speed. It was fun to drive and handled like a go kart. I bought it in the fall and after the first big snow day, it would run rough. The coil was mounted high on the firewall right under the hood and the snow flying off the road would accumulate around it and start shorting it out. There were a few times I had to pull off the road to clean the snow away so it would run. I then moved it down the firewall as far as the wires would reach for more heat and it helped. It would get damp but not get buried in snow. While working on the coil, I leaned against the fender and it bent under just that weight !! I popped the buckle out with my hand and was stunned that it was that weak. About a month later, I was approching an intersection where I had the right of way and the side street had stop signs. I noticed a women in a Chev Bel Aire wagon coming at me from the side street and looking in the back seat at her kids. I stopped and she blasted right thru the intersection about 40mph. I looked at the size of that car a few feet in front of my bumper and imagined how far she would've caved mine in and sold it a few weeks later. I bought a '66 Caprice with an "economy" 283 2 barrel and powerglide...

This is about one I owned and thought I always would. 1968 - I have a low-mile '54 Chevy that I have re-painted, replace most of the interior, and gone through the engine, trans, suspension. Body is perfect, I replaced much of the chrome. I loved that car. I also loved a girl - we were engaged, no date set. I had a new car, so much of the time the '54 sat. Fiancee just graduated from beauty college, needed a car. Pressure from her, her parents, my parents, I let her drive the '54 (short drive, 3 days a week - supposed to be temporary). Again pressure from her parents and my parents, they all insist that I put the car in her name - mostly for insurance purposes. I thought we were going to be married, so it really didn't matter. I resisted, but eventually consented - huge mistake.
A couple of weeks later, I go over to her house, '54 is not there... There is a new '68 Rambler American in the driveway (sorry AMC fans, but this was a POS from the start). "Where's the '54?" "Oh, we traded it in - did you see my new car?" I tell her that it was MY car and she should not have done that! Her and her parents all chime in "No, it was her car, it was in her name." "Which dealer, where is it, and how much did they give you?" I figured I'd go buy it back. The dealership gave her $50! I drove immediately to the dealer and asked about the '54. I ended up talking to the same salesman. "I want to buy back the '54 - where is it?" "We sold it - parked it on the lot, guy came by and offered me $200 - fastest money I ever made!" I got the name of the guy, but no phone number, lived in Illinois.
The next weekend, in the Antique and Classic Car section of the want ads, there was a listing for a '54, and an Illinois phone number. I called. The guy described my car perfectly, then confirmed that he was the guy who bought it from the dealer. I asked him how much - "Sorry, it's been sold already." OK - How much, who was it, the chase continues... not that lucky. "I parked it in my driveway with a for sale sign in the windshield, guy from California pulling a trailer comes up, offers me cash for the car, loads it up, gone! I explained that it was my car, and I was trying to buy it back. I asked "If you don't mind, how much did he give you? Guy answers "$3500". I almost passed out!
I drove over to my fiancée's house, demanded the ring back, told her and her parents to go to hell. I also told them how much the car had been sold for, which was double what they paid for the Rambler!
I also quit listening to my parents about that same time.

Bob

That sucks...In 1977, I met my first wife while I was managing a Goodyear store, she hated my Firebird, rough ride, a little temperamental and loud (come to think of it, that describes my first wife too). Her family, except for her younger brothers, told me that they were embarrassed whenever I pulled up to the house and that a young man in my position should be driving something that reflected my station in life. So I went out car shopping, I bought a 76 Monte Carlo, swivel white buckets, deep Red paint, nice rims, over all a beautiful car.

I had the car for about a week and my lovely girlfriend asked if she could borrow the car to go shopping...I resisted but hormones took over and loaned her the car for the afternoon. At about 5PM, I get a phone call from this girl whom I would shortly be calling my wife telling me that a Semi had but a dent in the Monte Carlo. I told her to calm down and everything would be OK. I went to the scene of the mishap and I couldn't recognize my new car. Apparently she was in the right hand turning lane and the Semi was in the lane beside her also making a right hand turn...shoved the Monte Carlo right onto the sidewalk, popping out all the glass on the driver's side including front and rear windshields.

Not a problem right, wrong, she only had her learner's permit without anybody beside her so no insurance. I was kind and consoling but, inside I was fuming. I was glad I still had my Firebird and after that when I pulled up to her house and anybody ever mentioned anything about the noise my car made, it was a simple task to shut them up. I should have learned from this but, being young and foolish, (mostly thinking with wrong head) I still married her. I paid $5500 for the Monte Carlo, it cost me about $4000 to fix it.

Your right Bob, if I think back at all the bad advice that I've taken and paid for...well, put it this way, that's at least another kid through College. Hell, factor in what I lost in the divorce...I coulda bought my kids there own college...LOL.

In keeping with "girls we were engaged to" and the car that got away. In 1972, fresh out of college, I ordered a brand new Camaro. Immediately put on header side pipes that made it pretty loud. Starting dating a girl that loved that car first and dated me second. She could hear me coming 3 blocks away. She kept dating me because I hinted that I was going to trade it for a '73 vette and she LOVED vettes.
Anyway, we date for about 6 mo and I'm getting ready to drive my T bucket to the '73 street rod nats, so I (thinking with my lower regions) gave my Camaro to her for the week. When I came back, she was devastated that she put a foot long dent in quarter panel. I forgave her, fixed the dent and shortly after we got engaged. She was sure I was going to get that vette I guess. 2 mo before the wedding I trade the Camaro for a 74 Vega ! She almost cancelled the wedding. For 30yr she threw that in my face about no vette. On our 30 wedding anniversary I bought her a 96 vette. We are coming up on 40yr now and she still drives her vette. This is her little 03 that she drives today

This makes me sick every time I think about it. It was about 1982 and I was saving for my first house. I test drove a 1970 Hemi Superbird, Vitamin C orange, Pistolgrip fourspeed, very good condition. I had the $12,500 they were asking, but I decided the house was a better investment, urrrh. A few years later I did however make a good deal on a 1969 427 Corvette coupe which I still have today. Win some / Lose some!

Your right Bob, if I think back at all the bad advice that I've taken and paid for...well, put it this way, that's at least another kid through College. Hell, factor in what I lost in the divorce...I coulda bought my kids there own college...LOL.

Ray

Ray,
I was lucky - got out of my divorce largely unscathed. I did however sell a house I built to finance a kid through college.
Bob

This makes me sick every time I think about it. It was about 1982 and I was saving for my first house. I test drove a 1970 Hemi Superbird, Vitamin C orange, Pistolgrip fourspeed, very good condition. I had the $12,500 they were asking, but I decided the house was a better investment, urrrh. A few years later I did however make a good deal on a 1969 427 Corvette coupe which I still have today. Win some / Lose some!

I started working young, at about age 14, pumping gas after school and weekends. Was making $2.00 / hr which I recall thinking was a small fortune, in comparison to my previous weekly allowance that I got for doing household chores at home. I had also done thing like picking rocks from farmers' fields for extra "pocket money".

I already had a car that I bought from my Dad for $100.00 ... a 1955 Pontiac Pathfinder Deluxe. Don't get too excited, it was a 4-door with a 261 6-cyl and a powerglide with reverse at the bottom.

Unfortunately, I developed an interest in partying and girls ... and this became the priority for my newfound wealth.

All the "cool kids" had brand new 340 Dusters, Camaros, and Mustangs ... but I thought I'd wait until I had a "real job" before I spent THAT kind of money.

I watched the "fat dumpy kid" a 16-yr-old that was a co-worker at the filling station. Very quiet, a loner, and a "mommas boy". He had a 1967 Sport Fury with a 383 and ET diamond spokes. God, he babied that car ... never, ever, saw it dirty.

A couple of years later, he started buying other "cool cars", like a '68 Torino GT convertible. This a 302 w/ 4-spd. Not exactly a muscle car, but a real nice ride. He started partying and hanging out with the wrong crowd. He drove the snot out of that car, spun a rod bearing ... which he fixed with leather and DUMPED it quick. The last car he had, that I know of, was a '70 Cuda AAR 340 6-pak car, which, as the story goes, met it's demise at around 140 mph in 3rd gear.

That was the problem with buying a used "muscle car" ... so many of them had been ridden hard and put away wet.

Personal near misses:
- 68 Mustang coupe (not the fastback) 302 A/T. My buddies sister was selling it for $500 because it needed an exhaust system that she couldn't afford.
-71 Torino, 351C-4V ... I didn't like the baby blue color.
-74 Dart Hang 10, 360. My Dad talked me out of that because I was commuting 40 miles per day to work in the city ... and he wouldn't co-sign for a gas guzzler. I bought a 75 Dart SE with a 318 2bbl, 904 trans, and "Granny - style" vinyl roof with color-keyed wheel covers and column shift instead.

A set of Dodge Rallye wheels helped a BIT, but a 318 with 2.73 gears was NOT a big performer.

In March '72 I ordered a new 'Cuda with 340, 4 speed/console and 3.23 posi. PS and power disc brakes but no A/C, couldn't afford that. I did this on a Saturday. The next Monday I called my insurance co. and told them what I had "bought". Mind you I didn't have a very good driving record, having lost my license a couple times by then. I asked for a quote and he said he would see what he could do for me. 2 days later he called and said State Farm wouldn't underwrite it unless I got a 318/automatic and I would have to get insurance somewhere else. I called around for 2 more days to get coverage and was either denied or the rate was a weeks pay. I had to go back to the dealer and down grade to the 318, which was the standard engine that year, and an automatic. I also nixed the console and went to a tilt column shift. I left the posi. It was humiliating having the 318 with single exhaust on a "Cuda package.

Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) used to include your insurance with your license plates and vehicle registration. I don't remember there being driver age or "sports car" vehicle conditions or limitations.

So yes, I suppose it was based on the honor system in a way. You weren't penalized until you reached a predetermined demerit point level.

That being said, a lot of guys did a lot of stupid things (as previously mentioned) without getting caught. Driving drunk, racing on public roadways, excessive speeding, etc. Many of those cars would go 140 mph ... many times with passengers.

I honestly think that emissions laws and higher gasoline prices were intended to tame a lot of ponies.

Register Now

In order to be able to post messages on the Hot Rod Forum : Hotrodders Bulletin Board forums, you must first register.
Please enter your desired user name (usually not your first and last name), your email address and other required details in the form below.

User Name:

Password

Please enter a password for your user account. Note that passwords are case-sensitive.

Password:

Confirm Password:

Email Address

Please enter a valid email address for yourself.

Email Address:

Log-in

User Name

Remember Me?

Password

Human Verification

In order to verify that you are a human and not a spam bot, please enter the answer into the following box below based on the instructions contained in the graphic.